


Life is the flower for which love is the honey

by canadino



Series: Veludo Way Shotengai [1]
Category: A3! (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Flower Shop & Tattoo Parlor, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-29
Updated: 2019-11-29
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:56:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,043
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21608674
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/canadino/pseuds/canadino
Summary: After years, Tsumugi and Tasuku meet again.
Relationships: Takatoo Tasuku/Tsukioka Tsumugi
Series: Veludo Way Shotengai [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1562077
Comments: 5
Kudos: 98





	Life is the flower for which love is the honey

The shop door opened as Tsumugi was crouching by the fall blooms. The days were getting cooler, so there had to be a delicate balance for the plants that liked lots of natural light and the plants that could tolerate a draft near the windows. Tenma was off today and Taichi was running late from a group meeting at school so there was no one else to greet the customer. Still, it wouldn’t do to leave wilting and dried leaves to gather and provide cover for pests, so Tsumugi diligently continued clearing them, calling a brief welcome that was met with silence. This wasn’t unusual, as some visitors liked to browse in peaceful silence. When he stood, his left hand delicately grasping plant detritus and dirt under his fingernails, his stomach flipped. “Tasuku,” he said.

“It’s been a while.” 

“You--” Tsumugi resisted the urge to cross the space between them and wrap his old friend in a hug; it had been years since he’d spoken with Tasuku, and he needed to wash his hands. Tasuku had never been the prickly type, but it wasn’t good manners to get dirt on someone no matter how familiar they were. “What are you doing back?”

“Got a job. And...my mom’s been nagging that I don’t come home often and it was getting annoying.” 

Tsumugi laughed as he walked to the back, dropping the plant material in the compost bin and rinsing his hands at the sink. Tasuku’s mom, the occasional times he saw her around, would praise him for being a good boy and caring for his aging parents. It wasn’t so much a conscious choice; Tsumugi thought he’d enjoy traveling and living in a city that he hadn’t grown up in. But things happened and he’d stayed local, becoming a florist and now working on expanding to landscaping so he could do more than care for his beloved stock in a tiny shop. “I’m sure she’s happy to have you back around. And she isn’t the only one, certainly.” 

Tasuku didn’t respond, which wasn’t completely out of character. When Tsumugi came back to the front, wiping his hands on his apron, Tasuku was looking casually at the hanging plants. “So what are you up to now?” Easily, he stepped into the space at Tasuku’s side. Tasuku turned to him, shifting his weight, but he could not step back and away or trample the plastic pots behind him. 

“Just...work.” If Tasuku didn’t want to tell him, that was okay. They looked at the display in the corner in silence. “I knew this place was yours, even before I asked around...the sign with the bright yellow narcissus.” 

“Ah, I’m flattered.” 

“I’m glad. You’re doing what you’d like.” Tsumugi gazed up at him, and Tasuku met it unwaveringly. He hadn’t imagined Tasuku’s awkwardness around him, but it was reassuring that his old friend was willing to meet his eyes. All reunions were a little faltering at first. “You were always reserved when you were younger, so I was always afraid you’d be bullied into submission and work for something you didn’t really like.”

“Well, you aren’t exactly wrong...I did work at city hall for a few years out of college, but I got a chance to rent this space and I took it. I’m taking on projects too, so if your workplace needs any kind of sprucing up, call on me!”

Tasuku looked away again. “I’m...not exactly sure that’s the mood of my place. We don’t really have a lot of plants there right now...which is kind of why I came today. It can get a little brutish with all guys, so I thought some flowers might brighten up the place.” 

Tsumugi didn’t have to look into a mirror to know he had brightened up visibly. “Oh! Well, you came to the right place. I’ve got some specialty items, because I don’t buy from bulk gardens like the florist down the street. Hmm, let me see. These irises are nice. The deep purple is such a royal color and is auspicious for your return. I’m...quite partial to these yellow camellias as well...or these gardenias. Yes, I think for you, they’d do nicely. But of course, you and your colleagues would be the ones looking at them all the time, so what are you being drawn to?”

He followed Tasuku around the floor, giving him space to examine the various decorative plants. But while he was careful to survey all his options, Tasuku always wandered back to the flowers, running his fingers over young petals and inspecting their leaves. Lingering, he picked up a small ceramic pot. “These ones.” 

“Forget-me-nots? How sentimental of you.” Tasuku was still guarded, his face unreadable. Tsumugi found himself wondering again what kind of work Tasuku was doing; if he remembered correctly, Tasuku was always around the fine arts wing of the university. Perhaps he was a curator at the art museum, or working a gallery, or acting in a local troupe. The shop was on the fringes between the arts district and the central shopping arcade. Surely Tasuku hadn’t made a trip from across town just to buy some flowers from him? “Let me wrap those up for you then,” Tsumugi said, when it was clear he would not get a response.

“No need. I can just hold them.” 

Tasuku paid for his flowers without issue. “If you ever need any more flowers or any kind of plant, just call me.” He included the shop’s business card with the receipt. “I can do any kind of flower arrangement or delivery. I’ve got some dedicated guys helping me out, so I’ve got some manpower to do some heavy lifting!” As if on cue, Taichi burst through the door.

“Sorry I’m late!” he cried, waving his arms around for emphasis. “I was coming from campus and then I got caught up on running an errand for...for...well...I’m here now, and I’ll stay late to make up for it.” He was flustered, and Tsumugi knew there was only one person Taichi, with his sense of duty and dedication to doing a job he was hired for, would stray off the path for. He would have a stern talk with Yuki at the next neighborhood association meeting about using other’s employees for free. “Oh...sorry, there’s a customer. Hello! Thanks for your business!” He bowed deeply to Tasuku before hurrying to the back to put his things away. 

“It’s lively here,” Tasuku said, watching Taichi’s retreating back. 

“It’s not so at your work?”

“I wouldn’t say they’re...lively.” Tasuku looked troubled. “They’re interesting for sure. I’ll take my leave now.” Nodding, Tasuku left the shop. How curious, Tsumugi thought, watching Tasuku walk away from his angle at the window. It was normal for friends to drift apart as they grew older. He had been sad about it, as they had grown up together, but to always stay adjacent to each other might have been wishful thinking. Perhaps he would reach out to Tasuku to reconnect now he was back, try the number he had saved on his phone and hadn’t contacted in years. Tasuku’s caginess about what he did for a living was biting at Tsumugi’s natural curiosity. Was it something he was embarrassed about? Ashamed over? Absent-mindedly, his eyes continued following Tasuku walking across the street and opening the door and entering the building on the other side of the road. 

“Huh?” Almost knocking over the register, Tsumugi leaned over to look square out of the window. His neighbors across the street had been there before he had set up shop, and he hadn’t known them well. It was a place smaller than his, flanked by a modest but popular bakery and a small travel agency. It was also a tattoo shop, barely noticeable with a sign just reading the name and small print on the door saying it was a tattoo shop and the shop’s number. It held odd hours, so Tsumugi didn’t see much activity around it but he supposed artists could set up their own schedules. After all, sometimes he closed shop early because of errands he had put off for too long. He was still gaping out the window when Taichi walked out, tying his apron strings behind his back.

“Tsumugi-san? Are you okay? What are you looking at?”

“Taichi, do you know anything about that tattoo place across the street?”

Surprisingly, Taichi beamed. “Yeah, actually! I’m super good friends with one of the artists, and the other main one is...he’s really cool and I’m a little intimidated. I actually went over there during one of my lunch breaks but the guy who owns it is pretty scary and kicked me out because I had food and I didn’t work there...but my friend said he’s excited because a new guy just started so it’ll give his boss one other person to look after instead of scolding him for being on his phone but the new guy apparently is pretty stoic so Kazu’s been trying to get him to lighten up.” Realizing he was talking so much, he closed his mouth but Tsumugi only kept staring at him. “Uh...that’s all I know though. Why? Are you thinking of getting a tattoo?” 

“Who knows?” Tsumugi said, turning back across the street. Tasuku hadn’t walked out again, so the likelihood that he was working there was going up by the minute. He barely heard Taichi’s surprised gasp and demands to know what kind of thing he wanted tattooed. Fall was really bringing the winds of change. 

It was nothing more than a friendly visit. Tsumugi came bearing a peace lily. He had checked with Taichi that the tattoo shop would be open (“Their hours used to be all over the place since they were appointment only but Sakyo-nii yelled at them so now they open a few hours every day!”) and took a deep breath to steady himself as he pushed the door open. Tsumugi hadn’t been in very many tattoo shops; he’d never really considered getting one and he didn’t know many people who had. He knew that the stereotypes weren’t all true - he wasn’t walking into a yakuza den, and he wasn’t going to get roughed up by the people who worked there, especially if Tasuku was there - but he was a bit surprised at the neatness of the lobby. A well-worn but comfortable-looking couch was surrounded by framed art. The counter was a mostly barren affair. He heard some voices behind the partition that separated the front from the back, although it quickly fell to silence with the sound of his entrance. “Hello?” he called, making sure his voice was nice and loud to be heard. 

A head poked out from the back, although it wasn’t Tasuku. “Hey,” the sandy haired boy said. He walked out to the counter. “You have an appointment?”

“Er...no.” Holding up the peace lily, Tsumugi put on his most winning smile. “I’m your neighbor across the street. I’m not new or anything but...I thought...it would be nice to get to know everyone else since I’ve been so busy so I thought a plant would be a nice gift.” The boy, probably a few years younger than Tsumugi, took the plant wordlessly. “Well...that’s what I think, but also I’ve never really been in a tattoo place like this so maybe I’m just curious.”

The boy let out a bark of laughter. “Always a first time for everything. Maybe you’ll leave wanting art too.” He inspected the plant. “We’re going to become a jungle if we keep getting plants in this place...Sakyo ain’t gonna be pleased about that.” Someone rustled loudly behind the partition. 

“Tell me more about this place,” Tsumugi insisted. As the boy turned the plant around in his hands, Tsumugi noticed two loops on his wrist - a black drawing of a disentanglement puzzle. “Do you do tattoos?”

“Sure do. I used to go by Neo, pretty much everywhere, but nowadays I just go by name.” Pulling a card from a stack on the counter, he handed it to Tsumugi. His name was Banri, although the social media handles all revolved around his old Neo name. He surely seemed to be the type not to bother on a massive rebranding. He was the cool one Taichi had mentioned, someone Taichi was trying to impress to become his friend. “You can go on any of my socials and take a look, but I usually do black work.”

“Ban-chan’s su-u-per precise,” another guy said, coming out from behind the partition. “Like, perfect lines. I think art’s not about perfection, but he’s scary good at making good things look effortless.” This had to be Kazunari, Taichi’s friend. He had the same flashy, sociable attitude. “You’re from across the street? Oh, you’re Tai-chan’s boss! The quiet and refreshingl guy!”

“Hey, you’re literally talking to him,” Banri said, hitting Kazunari on the arm.

“I’m Miyoshi Kazunari, but you can call me Kazu!” Whipping out his phone, he quickly pulled up his Instagram. “Add me! I try not to spam my art account, and I try to just keep it to the stuff I do here. But I also have art art I do at home. What do you like? I can do pretty much any style but I love to do colors. Ban-chan and I are pretty much a power couple.” 

“Ugh, don’t say that.” 

Tsumugi smiled despite the whirlwind of conversation. “I’m...not sure I want a tattoo right now but I’ll look at what you’ve done.” 

“Yeah!” Kazunari reached below the counter and brought up a red binder. “Here’s some stuff we keep on hand for any walk-in consultations. The stuff on the wall’s a bit outdated, so I’d prefer people choose from the flash in this binder. Everything I have is online, pretty much. There’s some stuff from Furuche-san - that’s our boss, and he owns the studio - but good luck getting an appointment with him. He only does old fashioned stuff like irezumi...I’m pretty sure he isn’t yakuza but…” He glanced at Banri, who was watching them disinterestedly. “Well, anyway! Isn’t it pretty?”

The first section was Kazunari’s work, as indicated by sweeping colors and fun designs. He had many photos, with many angles. Then there was traditional irezumi, although it only took up a page and had few photos. The color and detail was fascinating. The following section was all black and line work, with neat geometric shapes done razor sharp. Banri seemed to like patterns, and the stippling suggested painstaking attention to detail. Tsumugi felt Banri’s eyes on him expectantly as he flipped the pages and thought Taichi had nothing to worry about; Banri wasn’t an unflappable man of cool. “These are very nice,” he said, smiling gently. Banri looked away, muttering something about it being easy. 

The last section, which was the newest if the shiny lamination was anything to go by, was filled with flowers. Black and white flowers and colored flowers and flower designs and bouquets - the study of each type of flower depicted was certainly well done. Leaves followed their unique edges and each petal was lovingly done. Though Tsumugi never tired of looking at flowers, it felt as if we were seeing them new as art. 

Kazunari noticed him dwelling on the flowers and perked up. “This is from our newest guy. He joined us, like, two weeks ago or something! He’s kind of a gruff dude - Banri, go get him, he’s not working on anyone right now - but you’d never know if you looked at his work! Like, the guy only does flowers. He won’t take any other projects. Good for me and Banri, since we’ll do them, but wait ‘til you hear the reason why. You’ll love it, because you work with flowers and stuff. Anyway, he says he refuses to do anything other than flowers, because the one he’s in love with really likes flowers and it’s like an homage to them. Like, I couldn’t even laugh even though that’s so corny right? But it’s so romantic, because he’s been tattooing for a while and he’s never done anything other than flowers, so I’m like, just confess already, this is like folding a thousand cranes to wish someone good health…”

“I like flowers,” Tsumugi said. 

“Come on, you unfriendly oaf,” Banri said, pulling Tasuku into view. “What’s wrong with you? You brought in flowers yesterday and now you don’t want to meet the flower guy from across the street…” The four of them stood facing each other for a beat of silence. “Wait...flowers. You said you knew the guy from when you guys were kids…”

“And he likes flowers,” Kazunari said.

“Please leave us alone.” Tasuku’s ears were blood red. 

Mercifully, Kazunari looped an arm around Banri’s and pulled him back behind the partition; still, Tsumugi heard them whispering and was certain it was about them. Tasuku was staring at the ground. “This isn’t what I had in mind when I thought about...talking to you about this.” 

“About what?”

“Tsumugi.” Tsumugi wasn’t a cruel man. Though perhaps that wasn’t true, as he had barged into the store knowing Tasuku worked there and made himself known to try and draw the man out. But seeing Tasuku so vulnerable made him feel bad, and in any case, this wasn’t the place to discuss such things. He reached out and touched the back of Tasuku’s hand. 

“So you’re a tattoo artist?”

Tasuku didn’t respond, as if he could continue the facade despite being chin deep in it. “Yeah.” 

“Your work is really pretty. I really like it.” Tasuku was still for a moment, before turning his hand so their palms touched. “So does that mean you also have tattoos?”

“I have a few.”

“Uwah...that’s so hardcore of you. Let’s go get a drink sometime and you can tell me about them. Maybe you can show me.” Tasuku was finally looking up at him, albeit cautiously. “And we have a lot to catch up on.” They were fully holding hands now. It made Tsumugi’s chest feel warm. 

“Yeah. I’d like that.”

**Author's Note:**

> I never thought I'd ever do a tattoo/florist AU in my life but here we are. I got another tattoo recently so I was in the momentum for this fic. The real galaxy brain would have been Tasuku being the florist out of the eternal flame he holds for Tsumugi...
> 
> The summary is a quote attributed to Victor Hugo. In hanakotoba, yellow camellias mean 'longing' and gardenias mean 'secret love'. Tenma likes plants but Taichi is convinced that working in a flower shop will make him more popular with girls. So far he doesn't even have much luck with Yuki there. I'm definitely interested in writing more for this AU! There's opportunity for a classic trope-y bakery AU (Omi/Juuza) but don't @ me.


End file.
